WCVA’s Volunteering Manager, Flik Walls looks at how reviewing your approach to involving volunteers could lead to more meaningful opportunities that inspire people to keep coming back!
We all know the dedication, passion, and time volunteers bring to our organisations – it’s the human capital that knits together our communities in Wales. However, we, as volunteer involving organisations must constantly hold up the mirror and ask the most important question: Are we truly getting it right for them?
Recruitment is tough right now, and retention (or ensuring volunteer satisfaction as I like to call it) is tougher. Volunteers are looking for more than just a task, they want a meaningful experience that fits in with their lives.
REVIEWING YOUR APPROACH
If you take a moment to think about your current practice,
- How does your volunteer welcome ‘feel’? Do new volunteers immediately feel like a valued part of your team, or are they lost in paperwork or digital systems? A great welcoming experience is key to longer-term commitment.
- What would volunteers tell others that they do? Can your volunteers clearly articulate the difference they are making? Are we enabling them to connect their effort directly to the mission, ensuring they see and feel their value?
- Are volunteers able to build a deeper relationship that helps them feel like they matter? Are you providing opportunities for volunteers to grow, learn new skills, and deepen their commitment over time? A strong, evolving relationship can help volunteers turn a fleeting interest into a long-term passion.
INVESTING IN YOUR VOLUNTEERS
The volunteers at your organisation are investing their most precious commodity – their time. How can we better invest in the volunteers and their journeys?
One way, which many organisations across the UK choose to make this investment is by striving to achieve the well-established quality standards the Investing in Volunteers Award.
If you would like to find out more about the quality standards, join us for an informative and engaging session on Wednesday 3 December 2025, 10 – 12.15 pm